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Summary:Stranded on the desert planet Tatooine after rescuing young Queen Amidala from the impending invasion of Naboo, Jedi apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn discover nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker, a young slave unusually strong in the Force. Anakin wins a thrilling Podrace and with it his freedom as he leaves his home toStranded on the desert planet Tatooine after rescuing young Queen Amidala from the impending invasion of Naboo, Jedi apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn discover nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker, a young slave unusually strong in the Force. Anakin wins a thrilling Podrace and with it his freedom as he leaves his home to be trained as a Jedi. The heroes return to Naboo where Anakin and the Queen face massive invasion forces while the two Jedi contend with a deadly foe named Darth Maul. Only then do they realize the invasion is merely the first step in a sinister scheme by the re-emergent forces of darkness known as the Sith.…Expand

Some may wonder why i have rated it so highly im comparison to the average user score, well its just because of my age, it was the first star wars film i watched and its always stuck in my head as the favourite, however i dont believe its better than the older ones its just this is aSome may wonder why i have rated it so highly im comparison to the average user score, well its just because of my age, it was the first star wars film i watched and its always stuck in my head as the favourite, however i dont believe its better than the older ones its just this is a special memory from my childhood and i really do rate this film highly.…Expand

While not being a terrible film, the first installment in Lucas' prequels just leaves audiences with an empty stomach. There is a lot to love in the film, cool characters, Darth Maul, good action sequences and a lot of eye candy (for 1999). But there is also a lot to hate, not a lot ofWhile not being a terrible film, the first installment in Lucas' prequels just leaves audiences with an empty stomach. There is a lot to love in the film, cool characters, Darth Maul, good action sequences and a lot of eye candy (for 1999). But there is also a lot to hate, not a lot of substance, some bad acting (Anakin), some bad and awkward dialogue, terrible characters like Jar Jar Binks and effects while ok for 1999 that look extremely bad today. But if you love Star Wars, it is definitely watchable and enjoyable, most of the time.…Expand

This film has no tension, drama, suspense, focus, excitement, development, and most importantly, it has no story to tell. For what it is, it's a joyless ride of random nothingness filled with flat, undeveloped, boring stereotypical characters that none of us would care about. Why didn'tThis film has no tension, drama, suspense, focus, excitement, development, and most importantly, it has no story to tell. For what it is, it's a joyless ride of random nothingness filled with flat, undeveloped, boring stereotypical characters that none of us would care about. Why didn't George Lucas hired others to direct the prequels just like he did in The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi? Why didn't he? If he did, the prequels could have ended up way better. But no, he himself had to direct all the prequels, and for that he has destroyed his godlike reputation.…Expand

Cast your mind back to May 1999. You may remember quite a buzz of excitement in the air. The world was awaiting the release of a new edition to the Star Wars saga, 16 years after it ended. To put it mildly, The Phantom Menace had a lot to live up to. It may yet go down in history as the mostCast your mind back to May 1999. You may remember quite a buzz of excitement in the air. The world was awaiting the release of a new edition to the Star Wars saga, 16 years after it ended. To put it mildly, The Phantom Menace had a lot to live up to. It may yet go down in history as the most divisive film of all time. As often parodied, it split Star Wars fans down the middle. No one could deny that the effects were superb, flawless even. But what bothered many was the clunky dialogue, the wooden acting and the fact that it didn't seem to belong in quite the same world as the series which shares its name. My main problem with the Phantom Menace is that I'm relatively indifferent to it. It's not awful by any means, in fact it has many redeeming features (but no where near enough to make it a great film). The visuals were the best in the world at the time of the film's release, and still hold up today. The realisation of Coruscant, the "capital of the galaxy" in the form of a planet-wide city is an interesting idea, as is the Gungan's underwater "bubble city" and both look sensational. The film also has two stand-out action sequences - the pod-race, a creative, heart-thumping Ben-Hur tribute, and the "duel of the fates" which forms the finale of the film. This three-way lightsabre battle between a young Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) against the formidable Darth Maul (Ray Park) wielding an iconic double-bladed lightsabre. This has to be among the finest fight scenes of all time - the choreography is extremely creative and the execution flawless - it's a real testement to the stunt crew working on the film. Brilliant visuals and two memorable scenes cannot save a film, however. The story isn't up to much, and you don't have the high stakes of the original films - you know who's going to survive, it being a prequel to the original series. Lucas has never been great at dialogue, but during his Star Wars prequels, he seems to become worse at it over time. In the Phantom Menace you can look forward to such gems as Obi-Wan's "do not defy the council master, not again", young Anakin's "Are you an Angel?" speech, Yoda's classic "how feel you?" and pretty much everything said by Jar-Jar Binks. Ah Jar-Jar Binks - no other three words send shivers down the spine of a Star Wars fan so effectively (accept maybe a debate into who shot first). He's a truly irradeemable character - narratively unnecessary, insulting, and very, very annoying. The other actors and their characters are either unremarkable (MacGregor, Lloyd and Portman) or look thoroughly embarrassed to be on screen (I'm talking about you, Mr Neason). The Phantom Meanace is a disappointment, but in truth, it could never live up to Star Wars fans' high expectations, but it's good for providing the odd cheap thrill. And John Williams' scoring for the series is still great.…Expand

My dad brought me to see the first Star Wars movie (A New Hope) when I was 7 years old, back in 77, and it created a magical memory that will remain through the rest of my life. When this 'prequel' hit in 99, I took my elderly father to see it with me. If only there could have been someMy dad brought me to see the first Star Wars movie (A New Hope) when I was 7 years old, back in 77, and it created a magical memory that will remain through the rest of my life. When this 'prequel' hit in 99, I took my elderly father to see it with me. If only there could have been some magic in that experience. Instead, there was only confusion for my dad, and embarrassment for me. With an overemphasis on cartoon-like characters (and voices) and multi-zillion dollar animation and CGI, and an underemphasis on character development and coherent plot storytelling, the whole thing felt like one big mess (although a mess within a fireworks show, if that makes any sense quite nice to look at most of the time). It's amazing to see actors like Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman so absolutely rigid and cardboard-like. There is no equal to any of the characters of the original Star Wars series, no wet-behind-the-ears Luke to cheer on, no Leia to secretly lust for, no Han Solo to crack us up. Instead there is the inclusion of the most annoying characters ever to grace a screen, a character who constantly reminded me that, at 30ish years of age, I had no business being there at that movie, let alone taking my father to it. A far cry from the kind of mass appeal the first set had with all kinds (and ages) of people. I truly feel that these 'prequels' will go down in history as the most unnecessary movies of all time. And yet I own them, I am THAT connected to the franchise, that I own movies I probably won't watch again, purely in honor of the original series and the hope that maybe, just SOMEHOW, some kid somewhere felt the magic like I did when I was a kid. In this age where all action and sci-fi movies look and feel like these 'prequels', I find that unlikely, but I can hope.…Expand

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NeilS

Apr 7, 2006

This film is what Lord of the Rings would have been if it had been filmed in a parking lot rather than New Zealand.